Caring ways to share this Valentine’s Day

By Nicole Blume

Did you know that the origin of the word “psyche” stems from the Greek word psukhē, meaning “soul”? Legend has it that Psyche was once a beautiful princess who fell madly in love with Eros, the god of love, and yet had to endure many terrible trials before finally marrying him. This story shows us how the soul endures hardships to redeem itself through the power of love. While we naturally think of love as romance, in Ancient Greek philosophy, there were many kinds of love. Eros was the classic romantic, passionate form of love, but there was also philia, or affectionate, friendly love, as well as storge, or unconditional, familial love. Ludos meant playful, flirtatious love, while pragma meant committed, long-lasting love. And beyond interpersonal relationships, agape referred to selfless, universal love, while philautia meant self-love.

If we view love from this widened perspective, we can see Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate many different meaningful relationships in our lives beyond our romantic partnerships. As parents, we love our children beyond measure, so why not use this holiday to honor storge? Among friends, we can uphold philia, and as community members, we can look for inspiration from agape. Perhaps most importantly, we can practice philautia and remember to hold ourselves in self-love.

Show some love to Mother Earth. Take your kids out into nature. Even just spending time outside, looking for heart-shaped river stones and practicing mindfulness, can inspire in yourself and your children a deep love for our planet.

Do something special for yourself. Light 50 candles and take a long, hot bubble bath. Take a solo hike in the forest or drive to the coast for an overnight adventure with yourself. Get a wild new haircut or go get a facial or a massage. Whatever makes your soul sing–-gift yourself some self-love!

With all these different ways to honor love, how will you celebrate Valentine’s Day this year? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page and let us know how you honored this classic holiday!

Head downtown early on Valentine’s Day to experience the “Heart Bomb” event, where beautiful hearts made from felt adorn trees, lampposts and more, thanks to students and families from the Waldorf School of Bend.

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